NUMEN Muskateller 2022

NUMEN refers to a metaphysical force, the genius loci or spirit of a place, and Johannes Zillinger reserves this name for his wines with the least intervention. The Muskateller 2022 shines in the glass in a radiant, intense amber with golden highlights, crafted bone-dry at 12.0% ABV. A wine of density and spice, translating its varietal aromatics into sheer depth rather than mere perfumed fruit.

The organic estate’s 23 hectares lie on limestone-sandstone soils around Velm-Götzendorf in the south-eastern Weinviertel. Herbs for proprietary teas and extracts grow between the rows of vines, while sheep, Kunekune pigs, and chickens loosen and fertilise the soil. Trees and shrubs planted along the eastern borders of the vineyards serve as a climate buffer.

Muskateller from the estate's oldest vines, harvested at peak physiological ripeness and selected exclusively for this bottling. The grapes underwent a brief intracellular fermentation in amphorae, followed by 22 months on the lees without intervention. The NUMEN wines ferment spontaneously and are bottled unfiltered and unfined.

On the nose, ripe exotic fruits: mango, pineapple, orange, and banana peel, paired with dried ginger, bergamot, and cinnamon blossom, underpinned by a serious, demanding minerality. The entry strikes both sweet and salty chords, without any residual sugar being present. This is followed by density, spice, and depth, leading into a long, persistent finish.

The label carries the Demeter logo. The estate dates back to 1673; Hans Zillinger converted to organic farming in 1984, and Johannes took over in 2012. Following his trip to Georgia in 2011, he ordered kvevris; today, over 60 percent of the wines are vinified in amphorae and large casks made of oak and acacia.